Themed collection Polymerisation and depolymerisation chemistry: the second century

In this perspective, we make the case for wider use of compostable plastics in food packaging, review labeling, infrastructure, and regulatory hurdles facing their adoption, and discuss the future of compostable-polymer research and development.

Understanding hierarchical approaches in optimizing the polymerization and copolymerization process via AI/ML to target specific properties, via self-driving continuous flow chemistry reactors with sensors (instruments) and real-time ML.

Blending PHA copolymers improves thermal stability, mechanical strength, processability (3D printing), and biodegradability, without addition of additives, offering a promising alternative to fossil-based and non-degradable polymers.

A dissolution reprecipitation method is presented as an alternative pretreatment for enzymatic recycling of waste PET and shown to enhance the initial rate of reaction, despite a minimal change in substrate crystallinity.

We report the first solvent- and catalyst-free synthesis of crosslinked polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs) at room temperature from five-membered cyclic carbonates (5CC).

A stereoretentive catalytic ring-opening metathesis polymerization delivers well-controlled telechelic all-cis polycyclooctene for the synthesis of polylactide-based ABA triblock copolymers.

We investigated the potential of cellulose esters to biodegrade under various conditions. Mimicking conditions found in nature within a laboratory setting, including ingestion by birds, fungal degradation as well as single enzyme degradation.

Hyperbranched polymers can be used to improve processability of 2PP 3D printing resins. The burning threshold is partly attributed to depolymerisation of the branched structure resulting in increased “residual char”.

The application of “asme”-type zinc guanidine carboxylate catalysts in the ROP of PLA has been extended to systematically investigate the influence of bifunctional co-initiators.

Nickel(II) complexes bearing long alkyl chains are successfully obtained as stable solids by ethylene oligomerization using a SHOP-type anionic bidentate (P–O) ligand.

Solvent-free PLLA alcoholysis assisted by microwaves produces selectively alkyl lactates with high efficiency and selectivity.

A set of new chiral monomeric (S)- and (R)-isomers of Al(III) compounds were synthesized using a proline-based ligand moiety.

The copolymerization of β-myrcene (M) with ethylene (E) and isoprene (I) was successfully promoted by a dichloro{1,4-dithiabutanediyl-2,2′-bis(4,6-di-alkylphenoxy)}titanium complex (1) activated by methylaluminoxane (MAO).

Lanthanum complexes copolymerise lactide and δ-valerolactone to produce copolymers with variable microstructures via a selective transesterification mechanism.

This study demonstrates how tuning temperature, unimer composition, and homopolymer length enables precise control over platelet size and morphology in CDSA, with successful scale-up in flow for potential biomedical applications.

We report TROPIC (Thermodynamics of Ring-Opening Polymerisation Informatics Collection), an open-source database harnessing experimental and computational thermodynamic parameters for ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) from the academic literature.

This work explores the use of (meth)acrylated polyglycerols in stereolithography (SLA), examining printability optimisation and biocompatibility. It also investigates greener resin alternatives via anhydride ring-opening and initial curability tests.

We utilize a modification of our previously developed continuous flow system to closely monitor the depolymerization of poly(butyl methacrylate) under varying initial concentrations and temperatures ranging from 120 to 160 °C.

The enthalpy of polymerization does not equate to ring-strain, since conformational enthalpy is used to increase the system’s entropy.

We demonstrate the oxyfunctionalisation of styrenic and rubbery (co-)polymers using a manganese-based homogeneous catalyst, MnTACN, a 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane ligand and hydrogen peroxide as a green oxidant.

This paper reports the synthesis and study of crosslinked polyurethanes that possess sulfone ethyl urethane chain-extenders which provides base triggered self-immolative degradation properties – notably for use in debond-on-demand processes.

Waste fish oil and algae oil are excellent feedstocks for the formation of non-isocyanate polyurethanes.

The use of a continuous flow approach enables the preparation of on-demand photocurable resins with tuneable compositions. This study reports a sustainable, scalable method for producing a lipoic acid-based resin suitable for 3D printing.

Controlled and selective cyclodepolymerization of CO₂-derived polycarbonates to cyclic carbonates under relatively mild conditions.

Realization of dual-selectivity in polymerization allows for precision control and advancement in complex block polymer design.

Cotelomerization of isoprene and butadiene with CO₂ gives mixtures of lactones that can undergo selective conjugate reduction and then ring-opening polymerization to polyesters. Ring-opening of one isomer leads to a tertiary alkoxide chain end that terminates polymerization.